Faithful Living - Studies from the Book of James
No 10 "Take a Good Look in the Mirror "
Ch 1 V 22-25
Introduction. It is significant that, in his epistle, James
includes an important section in which he expounds the nature of God’s life giving
word, and the way in which Believers are to respond to the revealed Word.
James has set forth the necessity for a
proper response to the Word of God on the part of believers (V 21). This
requires "a putting off" of all sinful habits and conduct and a
willing submission to the Scriptures.
Some people emphasize sound doctrine as an
end in itself. Their goal is to know more so that they may know more.
Others slight doctrine and place the emphasize on conduct. They are concerned about
manifesting Christian love in their relationships and do not want to be
bothered with the issues of biblical doctrine.
However, it is not possible to be a
biblical Christian and hold such an attitude. God intends His children to be
well grounded in sound doctrine and live lives that conform to that doctrine.
The application of God’s Word is essential to making our faith work.
God’s Word is—
A Word of Regeneration. Man
is born again of the incorruptible seed of the "Word of God" which
lives and abides forever.
A Word of Illumination. It
is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path
A Word of Reflection. It is a supernatural Mirror, which enables us to see
ourselves as God sees us. It reveals our faults and failures, and directs us to
see our need for cleansing and for the transformation of our ways. We must not
just hear the Word; we must do the Word.
James 1:22 But
be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
To believe that hearing is enough deceives
us. James has instructed us to be quick to hear. And now that we have heard we
must be quick to do. Many there
are who read the Bible, respect the Bible, and give reverence to the Bible, but
do not act according to its teachings or live according to its rules.
It has been said, "To know and not do is to not yet
know." How true this is and how biblical it is. We can go
to great lengths to convince ourselves that we don't have to do the things
God's Word says to do.
In fact we spiritualise things by saying, "We're
under grace not works!" Now that is self-deception! For
grace saved us to become a doer of good works.
The Bible is the directory for a
disciplined and a devout life; thus, the main business of the Christian should
be doing the word of God. Blessing does not come simply by hearing great
Biblical Truths.
It is not the hearing but the doing that
produces the blessing. The question is, what are we
doing about what we are hearing? It is better to do one sermon than to hear a
thousand.
How did you learn to drive a car? Was it
just by reading the manual? No, you listened to the instructor and then got in
and tried to drive the car. You would not travel very far by just reading the
manual.
How did you learn to play the piano? Was
it just by listening to the teacher play? Or by reading the
sheet music over and over again. No, you took these things and then put
them into practise.
The blessing is in the doing. We must be
those who intently look into the Word. In the Word we see what God would have
us be and do. Then we must set about doing. As obedient hearers, whose lives
are constantly doing the Word, we will experience the
blessing of God. Let us be mindful that there is
A Look That is Deceiving. V 22
But be ye
doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
This word doer is a favourite of James'. Although it is used only
two other times in the New Testament, James uses it four times in this letter
Verses --22,23,25; 4:11;
Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers
of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be
justified. The word for "doer" is (poietes,)
-- a performer.
D. L. Moody, The
Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives by the
doing of the Word.
The term "hearers only"
would remind us of a student, who has signed up for a University course. He
attends the classes, listens to the Lectures, but never turns up for the mock
exams.
When the real exam time is drawing near,
he is out enjoying himself. He feels no pressure, while others are revising and
swatting hard.
But when graduation comes and the diplomas
are handed out, there is no cap or gown, or diploma for him. He has not made
the grade and the only one that he cheated was himself.
This word "Deceive" is an
accounting term, which means to "cheat, to miscalculate". How many Believers
cheat themselves by miscalculating spiritual things,
being hearers only?
They have heard all the teaching and they
believe it. They think that hearing the Word, maybe even with great attention, is
all that is necessary. But they just never make the grade.
By a process of faulty reasoning they
deceive themselves. They stop short of applying the Word to their lives and
living it out.
How embarrassed they will be, on the
coming graduation day, when they stand before the Judgement seat of Christ.
Friends, we do not like it when someone
deceives us, so why should we cheat ourselves, by being hearers only..
A Look That is Deceiving. V 22
A Look That is Dangerous. V 23,24
James is back to using picture language.
The main purpose for a mirror is for self-examination. But it is possible to
look into a mirror and then to go away and forget how we looked. When we look
in a mirror we have 3 possible responses:
Smash the
mirror - because we do not
like what we see--likewise men try to destroy the Bible.
Change
the image - make the necessary
corrections to improve us.
Ignore
the image - like knowing what the Bible says we should do, but not
doing it.
V 24 - Note the three steps here: looked
. . . gone away . . . forgotten. "Out of sight, out
of mind." This person has forgotten what he saw and the changes
that needed to be made, for this was but
A Casual Look. A casual look into
the mirror of the word of God is never sufficient, for this book deals with
eternal issues. A casual look is a look of neglect and it is fraught with
danger, and this look will lead to a backslidden condition.
Casual and Careless
James has in mind the
Christian, who comes to the Bible,
glances at it, has a quick read, sees what he ought to do, has a quick prayer,
and then gets involved in the business of the day. And a
hour later he has forgotten what he has read.
Have you ever found yourself described in
these verses? Being Guilty of just a casual neglectful look?
Illustration. Dr. Griffith Thomas, ---said in one of his meetings, " If
there were 500 in this community who are now backsliders, I would undertake
to say that this condition came about through neglecting the word of God.
Later a woman told him that she did not
agree with this statement, for there were many factors, which might lead to a
backslidden condition. The good doctor said "The Mirror does not
lie" "Have you got a mirror in your bedroom" he asked,
"I have," she replied. "Do you use it" he asked, Of course I do she replied
"Well, suppose you did not use the
mirror for a week, could you be sure that your personal appearance would be
such as you would like your friends to see". Oh, I would not be too
sure about that,. Was her reply.
Then he took her to these verses in the
book of James, which tell us that God’s Word is a Mirror, which gives us an
accurate reflection of ourselves, and shows us what we are really like in God’s
eyes; not what we thing we are, or what others say we are.
I don’t think that there is one of us who
would not get up in the morning and look in the mirror without doing something
about our appearance. Nor should we hear the word of God without acting on it.
The Bible shows us what we are without all our pretences and make up.
John Wesley wrote in his journal of June 22nd 1739. "After a
Preaching engagement—one dropped before me as dead, presently another, soon
there were five others, all of whom were in agony of soul having seen
themselves in the convicting mirror of God’s Word".
Isaiah having beheld the Glory of God looked at himself and
cried out " Woe is me for I am undone I am a man with unclean
lips"
When Peter saw the Power of Christ at work in producing a
multitude of fish, so that the nets were breaking he cried out and fell down at
Jesus' feet, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Even Job the most righteous man of his day confessed. " I abhor myself and repent in dust and
ashes"
Friends, God’s Word is the perfect reflector. It reveals the heart,
highlights our faults, our failures, and shows us up, but thank God, it also
cleans us up. Psa 119:9 shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
A Casual looker
1. Thinks, but he does not know, and
looks but he does not see. His
is but a superficial look and a superficial look produces superficial
Christians.
The Casual
looker
2. Hears but does not act. 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth
what manner of man he was.
The sad consequence of this look is that
the word of God will never penetrate the deep and hard places of life to
transform us the image of His Son
The person, who reads on the surface will
live on the surface, and will never to enjoy that deeper holy fellowship with
the Lord.
Illustration--- In
David says of the
Scriptures, Psa 19 the
judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are
they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the
honeycomb.
Moreover by them is thy
servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Are we prepared to take the time to dig deep into the mine of the
"Word of God" in order to find the nuggets of precious Gold?
George Duncan once
said, " God does not reveal deep things to the casual Christian, who just
drops in for an occasional chat".
Discernment, Deep fellowship, and
discipline of life are the rewards from earnest Bible study.
The Word of God is demanding. It demands a
stretch of time in our day- it is the duty of the Believer to look attentively,
and then to live accordingly. Not forgetting what they see.
Have you taken a good look at yourself
lately in the Mirror of the Bible? Take time to look at yourself in the mirror
of
Ps 139:23-24 Search me, O
God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(KJV)
Jesus has said, "if you continue in my word ye are my disciples indeed" In
keeping the word of God there is great reward. Neglecting it is a great danger.
When speaking of God’s ancient people
Heb 4:1 Let us therefore
fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of
you should seem to come short of it.
The message, which they had heard, was of no value to them,
because those who heard it did not combine it with the action of a working
faith.
They failed to enter into the peace of
God’s rest. They failed to develop into what God intended them to be.
They failed to enjoy the fullness of the
blessings, which their God had in the storehouse of His Grace for them.
They came short! How often we can loose out because we take but a
casual look at the Lord and His word, which He has given for our enrichment?
D.L. Moody, said
"It is easier for me to have faith in the Bible than to have faith in D.L.
Moody, for Moody has fooled me lots of times".
A Look That is Deceiving. V 22
A Look That is Dangerous. V 23,24
A Look That is Desirous v 25
But whoso looketh
into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth
therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man
shall be blessed in his deed. (KJV)
James uses the simple conjunction "But"
to introduce someone with a very different approach to the Word of God. He
shows us a man who takes
A Careful look. This is
1. A
Dutiful Look.
Looketh into the perfect law of liberty
The word that is translated "Looketh" means to look intently, to stoop down to
look in order to see something. This is not just a casual glance.
In John 20:5 we have this same word. When
John came to the sepulcher "
Stooping down, and looking in, he saw the linen clothes
lying"
Then after Peter and John had gone, Mary
stood at the sepulcher weeping and as she wept she
"stopped down and looked into the sepulcher".
They looked carefully and intently into
the empty tomb and we are to look intently into the Bible.
2. A
Discerning Look.
"looketh into the perfect law of liberty"
This means that the "Word of
God" is to be our rulebook for living. It contains commandments that are
always for our good. God’s word is a liberating word and when we obey it, we
are set free from, Self, Satan and Sin, and are enabled to serve God.
The Careful looker
will discern these things.
3. A
Disciplined look
"and
continueth therin, he being
not a forgetful hearer
The Greek word for "continue" is
(par-am-en'-o)
to stay near, to remain, to stay near, to abide ,to stay
the course.
It is not enough to have fits and starts,
or an occasional burst of enthusiasm followed by weeks of apathy and neglect.
The Christian, who wants to get somewhere
with God and wants to develop in Spiritual growth, must not only look into His
word, but also continue to do so.
The great need of every local Church is,
to have in its ranks believers who will continue in the law of liberty.
Acts 1:14 These
all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary
the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Acts 2:42 And
they continued stedfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
In Acts 13, we find Paul and Barnabus exhorting men to continue in the "Grace of
God" James is exhorting that believers continue in the Word.
Jesus says, "If
you know these things happy are ye if ye do them" John 13:17
James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer,
but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
There are those who desire to acquire knowledge for its own
value--and this is a base vanity. But there are others who desire to have it to
edify others--and this is charity. And there are others who desire it so that
they may be edified and live righteously for God, this is wisdom.
A man is not blessed in proportion to the
amount of Biblical knowledge he accumulates. The blessing comes with his
obedience to what God has revealed to him. He will be blessed in his soul.
It in keeping God’s Word
there is great reward.
Psa 1:1 Blessed is
the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psa 1:2 But his
delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day
and night.
Psa 1:3 And he
shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth
forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever
he doeth shall prosper.
John Howe
once wrote
God is not otherwise to be
enjoyed than as he is obeyed.
You
who treat the crown of writing
As
you treat no other book
Just
a paragraph disjointed
Just
a casual and impatient look
Try
a worthier procedure
Try
a broad and steady view
You
will kneel in very rapture
When you read your Bible through.